$~183 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 19161/2025 and CM APPL.79798/2025 FOOTBALL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION INDIA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Rahul Mehra (Sr. Adv) along with Mr. Shivam Singh, Mr. Chaitanya Gosain, Mr. Yoshit Jain, Mr. Hanif Chimthanawalia, Ms. Ishita Agarwal, Advs.

versus ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION & ORS ......Respondents Through: Mr. Siddhesh Kotwal, Ms. Maniya Hasija, Mr. Shubhansh Patel, Advs.

for R1 & R2 Mr. Shashank Bajpai (CGSC) along with Ms. Aashna Mehra, Mr. Vatsal Tripathi, Mr. Govind Chauhan, Advs.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN DATTA

O R D E R

% 18.12.2025

1. The present petition has been filed by the petitioner i.e. Football Players Association India. It is submitted that the petitioner’s association represents the interests of the footballers and other sporting professionals.

2. It is the case of the petitioner that the Constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), as approved by the Supreme Court, expressly recognises players as a distinct and mandatory stakeholder Group. Attention is drawn to Articles 20.2 and 20.3 of the AIFF Constitution, which mandate that the General Body of the AIFF shall include fifteen eminent players elected from the “National Players Association” with voting rights. It is submitted that the respondent cannot constitute a General Body or proceed with conducting AGM without ensuring player representation.

3. The present petition seeks that the petitioner be included in the AGM of the AIFF scheduled on 20.12.2025. It further seeks that the respondents be directed to recognize the status of the petitioner as National Player Association in terms of the AIFF Constitution, 2025.

4. While issuing notice in the matter, this Court vide order dated

17.12.2025 recorded as under:-

“5. Learned counsel for the respondent/s seeks some time to take instructions as to the proposed methodology for ensuring representation of the “eminent players” during the upcoming Annual General Body Meeting of the respondent no.1”.

5. Today, it is informed by learned counsel for the AIFF that in terms of an order dated 22.08.2022 passed by the Supreme Court the “EC” of AIFF comprises eminent players. Attention is drawn to Paragraph-7 of the said order dated 22.08.2022 which reads as under:-

7. In the application which has been filed by the Union Government, it has been submitted that the EC of AIFF would consist of 23 members of whom 17 members (inclusive of the President, a Treasurer and a Vice-President) will be elected by the electoral college consisting of the representatives of the State Associations/Union Territories. Apart from the 17 members, there would be six eminent players (four male and two female) who would be co-opted to the EC with voting rights. The co-option of six players in the EC is proposed in the following manner:

“17. The nomination/co-option of the players in the executive council [06 in numbers], the same may be co-opted in the following manner:-

“Out of the six (6) eminent players, there will be four men & two women. The eminent players may be nominated (co-opted) in the EC in the following objective manner:

 “Eminent player” shall mean a past Football player, male or female who has been retired for at least 2(two years, and has represented India at at the senior level in at least 1 (one) competitive match sanctioned by FIFA/AFC (international matches). The date of retirement is to be reckoned from the date of the last game played.

 Two separate list of men & women eminent players will be drawn in the descending order on the basis of number of international matches played.

 For Men, top four (4) eminent players from the above list, subject to maximum one man player from each state will be nominated (co-

opted) to the EC.

 For women, top two (2) eminent players from the above list subject to maximum of one woman player for each state will be nominated (co-

opted) to the EC.

 These 6 (six) selected eminent players shall be co-opted as members in the EC, and sha